The Triumph of Easter
Dear Friends
It is hard to call this political moment “aspirational,” but it is certainly full of big promises. The promises will only get bigger and bolder as we head closer to Election Day in November. These promises, and the performative certainty of those who make them, are aimed at not just earning your vote, but your confidence and hope. We are led to believe that with this candidate, this policy, we'll be primed for success.
Even before Good Friday, even prior to Jesus’ arrest, sentencing and crucifixion, Jesus did not seem primed for success. Those closest to him often did not even know what Jesus’ strategy was, and they debated the matter among themselves quite regularly. When Jesus died, his disciples struggled to make sense of things. What had they been working for all that time? Were their sacrifices in vain?
Of course, what happened on Sunday morning changed everything. It still changes everything. We can have a new outlook, not just for our personal lives, but for our public life and even for our politics. We can vote and advocate and serve in light of that fine morning.
This is what Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was talking about when he referred to the “arc of the moral universe.” He wrote:
Those of us who call on the name of Jesus Christ find something at the center of our faith which forever reminds us that God is on the side of truth and justice. Good Friday may occupy the throne for a day, but ultimately it must give way to the triumph of Easter. Evil may so shape events that Caesar will occupy a palace and Christ a Cross, but that same Christ arose and split history into BC & AD, so that even the life of Caesar is dated by his name. Yes, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
Easter Sunday is a day to remind ourselves what Jesus told his disciples: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 13:33).
Take heart, my friends.
Have a blessed Easter!
Michael Wear is the President & CEO of the Center for Christianity and Public Life.